]]>http://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-william-shatner-celebrates-leonard-nimoys-life-on-twitter/feed/0This Just In: William Shatner Has A Lot Of Opinions About Sailor Moon - Set phasers to "supreme thunder," team. http://www.themarysue.com/will-shatner-sailor-moon/
http://www.themarysue.com/will-shatner-sailor-moon/#commentsMon, 20 Oct 2014 15:20:28 +0000http://www.themarysue.com/?p=253624Supernatural's Castiel and Kevin Tran to have a conversation about Sailor Jupiter. I am not making that up. It actually happened.]]>

Today in “stuff that is surreally relevant to your very specific fandom interests,” Captain Kirk uses a picture of Supernatural‘s Castiel and Kevin Tran to have a conversation about Sailor Jupiter. I am not making that up. It actually happened.

I am, of course, referring to William Shatner’s Twitter, which as we all know is a minefield of hilarity and strangeness. In between livetweeting episodes of Castle and checking in on the International Space Station, the Shat took some time to tweet out this picture of Misha Collins and Osric Chau bein’ silly.

Wasn’t Sailor Jupiter a giantess? Is that part of the ‘in joke’, too? — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) October 19, 2014

And then:

.@DanWinchester_6 She was VERY TALL and very strong. You read YOUR manga, dude! Moon Prism Power Activate! Ha! — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) October 19, 2014

I can’t decide which I want to believe more: that William Shatner already came into the discussion with a working level of knowledge about Sailor Moon, or that he googled Sailor Jupiter after being corrected in order to come up with more ways to make fun of Osric Chau, and then decided to keep going so he could school randos on Twitter. Either way, sir, you are my hero. Never stop tweeting.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/will-shatner-sailor-moon/feed/0Michael Keaton Doesn’t Want To be Asked About Batfleck; Will Shatner Gets Mad About Star Trek 3 Rumors - And both of them want you off their lawn. http://www.themarysue.com/michael-keaton-wil-shatner-press/
http://www.themarysue.com/michael-keaton-wil-shatner-press/#commentsThu, 09 Oct 2014 15:23:16 +0000http://www.themarysue.com/?p=251168

First up, Michael Keaton is on the press circuit currently promoting his film Birdman, which is about an aging actor once renowned for playing a classic superhero who’s now trying to mount a dramatic comeback after being pigeonholed into his former role. Keaton certainly wouldn’t know anything about what that’s like. That’s probably why Entertainment Weekly asked him about that time he played Batman in the ’90s, and he responded thusly: “Chris Nolan is great, but I’ve never seen any of the Batman movies all the way through. I know they’re good. I just have zero interest in those kinds of movies.”

“People are asking me, ‘Is Ben Affleck going to be any good?’” he added. “And my attitude is, first of all, why would you ask me? Second, he’s probably going to be very good, and third, frankly, it’s all set up now so that you’re weirdly kind of safe. Once you get in those suits, they really know what to do with you. It was hard then; it ain’t that hard now.”

Meanwhile on the other side of the galaxy, remember those rumors from a few weeks ago that William Shatner might have a part in Star Trek 3,and how everybody jumped on him for tweeting what was believed to be cryptic confirmations (which have since been deleted)? Not only are those bogus, but Shatner’s pretty upset about the misunderstanding. Like, Klingon upset.

The Shat didn’t just wander in off the street to dazedly photobomb this TNG reunion—as selfie-taker LeVar Burton points out in this tweet, they were all participating in a panel at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con. I… I’m sorry, was I saying something? Sir Patrick Stewart continues to be hypnotic.

Being the quintessential Starfleet Captain has its perks, including NASA addressing you as such and updating you on missions, apparently. Good to know the space program is keeping ol’ Kirk in the loop.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/nasa-shatner-tweets/feed/0LeVar Burton Assembles Elite Star Trek Team for Reading Rainbow - Resistance is futile. http://www.themarysue.com/star-trek-reading-rainbow-live/
http://www.themarysue.com/star-trek-reading-rainbow-live/#commentsThu, 12 Jun 2014 16:49:21 +0000http://www.geekosystem.com/?p=211088Reading Rainbow Kickstarter's updated goal of $5 million, LeVar Burton has assembled a fleet of Star Trek actors for a series of live shows, and yes--Shatner and Professor X will be in attendance.]]>

What does the Internet like more than Geordi La Forge? Geordi La Forge and his Enterprise friends reading bedtime stories, of course! To reach the Reading Rainbow Kickstarter’s updated goal of $5 million, LeVar Burton has assembled a fleet of Star Trek actors for a series of live shows, and yes–Shatner and Professor X will be in attendance.

If you live in either New York or L.A. and have a spare $1,200, Burton invites you and two friends (one of whom, sadly, must be a child) to attend a live Reading Rainbow show. The first installment of the series will feature readings from Next Generation actors Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, and Robert Picardo. Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Jeri Ryan and Kate Mulgrew (probably ready to atone for her recent PR fiasco) will also participate in a “Women of Star Trek” performance.

A third as-yet-unnamed reading will have William Shatner, and a fourth, set to take place in New York, will star Patrick Stewart.

The Kickstarter has until July 2nd to raise its updated goal of 5 million, and you have not very long at all to acquire that $1,200 — tickets will be available today and tomorrow.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-534/feed/8I Don’t Know Why LEGO William Shatner Is Time Traveling To William Shakespeare & I Don’t Care. - And I'll Form the Head!http://www.themarysue.com/william-shatner-william-shakespear-lego/
http://www.themarysue.com/william-shatner-william-shakespear-lego/#commentsThu, 17 Apr 2014 21:49:00 +0000http://www.themarysue.com/?p=134428
Oh, sweet mystery of life, at last I've found you!
(via io9)
Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?]]>

BBC America has just announced an awesome four-part docu-series called The Real History of Science Fiction to premiere on April 19th (the same night as Orphan Black Season 2 kicks off!) And it’s going to be narrated by none other than Mark Gatiss. “From Star Wars to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and from Jurassic Park to Doctor Who, each program is packed with contributors behind these creations and traces the developments of Robots, Space, Invasion and Time.,” says the press release, “the series determines why science fiction is not merely a genre… for its audience it’s a portal to a multi-verse – one that is all too easy to get lost in.

Outstanding. Though I will point out how funny it is two out of the four women they list here both played Uhura. The press release also gives short bios for Charlie Jane Anders, Veronica Cartwright, Gale Anne Hurd, Ursula K. Le Guin, Audrey Niffenegger, Janet Peoples, presumably also featured in the documentary.

Here’s how the episodes will break down:

EPISODE 1 – ROBOTS

What if our creations turn against us? The idea of creating life has fascinated society since the earliest days of science fiction. The first installment of the four-part series, Robots transports viewers from the first steps of Frankenstein’s monster to the threat provided by the Terminator and the world of Cyberspace. Find out how Rutger Hauer created one of the greatest speeches in all of science fiction for Blade Runner. Discover from Kenny Baker the challenge of acting in Star Wars while inside the body of R2D2, and learn how Anthony Daniels was drawn to the role of C-3PO by concept art modeled closely on the robot from the silent classic Metropolis. Douglas Trumbull (2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner) discusses how he managed to create a whole new approach to robot design. The creators of the originalRobocop describe how its hidden depths have given it enduring appeal and William Gibson reveals the origins of his seminal novel Neuromancer. From HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey to the Cylons of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica and the world of The Matrix, this is a journey that asks – what does it mean to be human?

Episode 1 premieres Saturday, April 19, 10:00pm ET

EPISODE 2 – SPACE

What if we could explore the vastness of Space? Science fiction has always fed upon our need to explore – to wonder what is out there. Space journeys from Jules Verne’s earliest ideas about attempts to leave our planet, to the Star Wars far away galaxy through to Nichelle Nichols revealing how her groundbreaking role as Lt. Uhura in Star Trek led to her participation in the recruitment of NASA’s astronauts. It explores the deep sea inspiration for Avatar, finds out why Ursula K Le Guin wrote The Left Hand of Darkness and discovers how Stanley Kubrick was able to make 2001: A Space Odyssey seem so believable. In addition, the program looks at the way Dune and The Mars Trilogy embraced the challenge of world building and discusses the appeal of the beaten up ‘dirty space’ of Dark Star and Firefly. From the horrifying scenes of Alien, to the epic spectacle of Star Wars, this is a journey to the stars and the alien encounters that await us there.

Episode 2 premieres Saturday, April 26, 10:00pm ET

EPISODE 3 – INVASION

What if aliens landed on Earth? Much of science fiction explores the moment of first contact – what will people do when the aliens land? From H. G. Wells’ pioneeringThe War of the Worlds to Independence Day, Men in Black and District 9, Invasion deals with our fears of alien invasions of earth. David Tennant explains the appeal ofDoctor Who’s Daleks and Cybermen while John Carpenter and Chris Carter explore the rich appeal of the paranoia fuelled by hidden aliens with The Thing and The X-Files. It also asks, what if the monsters were our own creation? With the aid of rarely seen animation tests, Phil Tippett takes us behind the scenes in the creation of the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. But not all invasions are hostile. Peter Coyote and Richard Dreyfuss discuss the creation of Spielberg’s spellbinding classics E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. There is more than one kind of invasion.

Episode 3 premieres Saturday, May 3, 10:00pm ET

EPISODE 4 – TIME

What if we could travel not just through space, but through time itself? If you could travel through time, would you change the past or the future? What if you found it couldn’t be changed? What price does the time traveller – and the people they are closest to – pay? This is a journey from H. G. Wells The Time Machine through ideas like The Grandfather Paradox and The Butterfly Effect to the professional time traveller that is the ever popular Doctor Who. Steven Moffat, David Tennant, Karen Gillan and Neil Gaiman offer a unique perspective on the Doctor. Edward James Olmos reveals the hidden meaning of the language he created for the vision of the future that is Blade Runner. Bob Gale and Christopher Lloyd take us behind the scenes of Back to the Future, while Ed Solomon describes the joy of solving a time travel conundrum for Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. But what would be the physical and emotional cost to the time traveller? Audrey Niffenegger explains what inspired her novel The Time Traveller’s Wife. And what if someone from the future tried to travel back in time to warn us? Would we believe them? From the apocalyptic tones of 12 Monkeysto the drama of Quantum Leap and the comedy of Groundhog Day, time travel is a subject that has been irresistible to the creators of every type of science fiction.

Episode 4 premiere TBC.

You can keep up to date at their official site. The Real History of Science Fiction premieres Saturday, April 19, 10:00pm ET.

The case of the jelly-doughnut rock on Mars is still being cracked, and at a NASA panel reflecting on the Rovers’ accomplishments, it was revealed that even late-to-the-game William Shatner thinks Martians might be behind the mysteriously composed rock.
Once again, Space Detective Steve Squyres is on the case, there to patiently explain to Captain Kirk the more probable explanations for the rock’s origin. Detective Squyres also reveals how they’ve determined the date the rock appeared in front of Opportunity, and why he thinks Pinnacle Island looks so much like a jelly doughnut in the first place.

Also, if you’re in a space-y mood today, here’s the entire panel. If you’re dedicated enough to watch it all the way through, then you’re obviously a serious rover enthusiast and you’re invited to my candlelight vigil for Jade Rabbit. R.I.P, brave little moon maiden.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/william-shatner-space-rock/feed/0Things We Saw Today: Random Oscar Winner Generator - Things We Saw Todayhttp://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-45-2/
http://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-45-2/#commentsWed, 15 Jan 2014 22:00:48 +0000http://www.themarysue.com/?p=120421
To create their Random Oscar Winner Generator, TIME took the IMDB keywords of the 233 movies nominated for Best Picture since 1970 and plugged them into an algorithm. My favorite is “A movie star and a film producer in the 1860s cope with fame and adultery,” because time travel. Share yours in the comments.]]>

To create their Random Oscar Winner Generator, TIME took the IMDB keywords of the 233 movies nominated for Best Picture since 1970 and plugged them into an algorithm. My favorite is “A movie star and a film producer in the 1860s cope with fame and adultery,” because time travel. Share yours in the comments.

Oni Press is bringing back Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth’s Stumptown as an ongoing series, albeit without Southworth as the artist. (The Beat)

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-45-2/feed/31See Famous Geeks Wish Doctor Who A Happy Birthday - The World Doesn't End Because the Doctor Danceshttp://www.themarysue.com/celebrity-doctor-who-happy-birthday/
http://www.themarysue.com/celebrity-doctor-who-happy-birthday/#commentsFri, 22 Nov 2013 19:25:35 +0000http://www.themarysue.com/?p=114019
I'm feeling an extraordinary amount of geek unity right now. Group hug, everyone.
(via: Tumblr)
Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?]]>

I’m feeling an extraordinary amount of geek unity right now. Group hug, everyone.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/celebrity-doctor-who-happy-birthday/feed/4William Shatner’s New Music Video “Ponder the Mystery” Is Bananas - You will ponder the mystery of whether anyone is into this for something other than comedy.http://www.themarysue.com/shatner-video-ponder-the-mystery/
http://www.themarysue.com/shatner-video-ponder-the-mystery/#commentsWed, 09 Oct 2013 22:00:16 +0000http://www.geekosystem.com/?p=179897

William Shatner has a new album Ponder the Mystery coming out, because he’s really into spoken word type stuff and needs an outlet for his creative genius. Unsurprisingly, it has massive entertainment value as demonstrated in this video which is bizarre, but we can’t decide if it’s on purpose or not.

“Ponder the Mystery” is the title track off the album, and it absolutely achieves its goal of leaving us pondering. If you think you’ll enjoy Shatner’s introspective side as he strolls aimlessly through the countryside reflecting on the meaning of life, don’t miss this music video.

Bonus points will be awarded if you make it all the way through in one sitting. That’s a lot of Shatner.

The album drops on October 10th if you’re interested. Too bad for Shatner that it can’t hold a candle to Leonard Nimoy’s classic “Ballad of Bilbo Baggins“ track.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/shatner-video-ponder-the-mystery/feed/4Watch Live as SETI Institute Announces Official Names of Pluto’s Smallest Known Moons - The public voted and decided the names should be "Vulcan" and "Kerberos", but it won't be official until SETI says it is.http://www.themarysue.com/pluto-moon-names/
http://www.themarysue.com/pluto-moon-names/#commentsTue, 02 Jul 2013 15:15:42 +0000http://www.geekosystem.com/?p=16209412:00 PM EDT you can jump on a Google Hangout with SETI to hear the official naming of Pluto's two smallest known moons. SETI held a vote a few months ago, and the winning names were "Vulcan" and "Cerberus." Cerberus is already the name of an asteroid, so to avoid any confusion they're expected to use the alternate Greek spelling "Kerberos." We've got the live video right here.]]>

Today at 12:00 PM EDT you can jump on a Google Hangout with SETI to hear the official naming of Pluto’s two smallest known moons. SETI held a vote a few months ago, and the winning names were “Vulcan” and “Cerberus.” Cerberus is already the name of an asteroid, so to avoid any confusion they’re expected to use the alternate Greek spelling “Kerberos.” We’ve got the live video right here.

Vulcan and Kerberos will join Pluto’s other moons Nix, Hydra, and Charon. At least that’s what everyone is expecting to happen, but who knows. Maybe SETI will call an audible and give the moons completely different names. Maybe it will be Nix, Hydra, Charon, North, and West?

The vote was influenced heavily in Vulcan’s favor by some help from William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy who both took to social media to lobby the public. Will SETI stick with the winning names, or pull a last minute switch? Let’s find out together:

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/pluto-moon-names/feed/0Things We Saw Today: The Enterprise Is a Transformer Now - Things We Saw Todayhttp://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-269/
http://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-269/#commentsSun, 28 Apr 2013 21:30:55 +0000http://www.themarysue.com/?p=87773
The Enterprise-E, specifically. By T.J. Wilferd, who has more detailed photos over at DeviantArt. (via Neatorama)]]>

The Enterprise-E, specifically. By T.J. Wilferd, who has more detailed photos over at DeviantArt. (via Neatorama)

Chick-Fil-A is apparently hosting mother-son “date knights” in honor of Mother’s Day. I’m generally in favor of medieval-themed anythings, but I agree with The Frisky, this is bizarre.

The royal family visited Hogwarts, where they played with wands and… the Batpod? Well, Batman and Harry do share the whole orphan thing. Check out more pics at Styleite.

Need to catch up on TMS favorite Sim Downton? (That’s Downton Abbey as relived through the medium of The Sims 3. Get with it, people.) Iris Ophelia has provided a helpful recap in advance of the next episode, which will be a Christmas special. In the summer? Just go with it.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/things-we-saw-today-269/feed/5Star Trek’s Uhura And Spock Were Supposed To Hook Up Years Ago, Then William Shatner Pulled Rank - Dammit Jim!http://www.themarysue.com/uhura-spock-kirk-kiss/
http://www.themarysue.com/uhura-spock-kirk-kiss/#commentsSat, 20 Apr 2013 20:00:58 +0000http://www.themarysue.com/?p=86956
Well this is a surprise. We all know about the interracial kiss that rocked the world on Star Trek on November 22, 1968 but did you know that kiss was originally supposed to be between Uhura and Spock, not Uhura and Kirk? ]]>

Well this is a surprise. We all know about the interracial kiss that rocked the world on Star Trek on November 22, 1968 but did you know that kiss was originally supposed to be between Uhura and Spock, not Uhura and Kirk?

In the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren” from the original series, the crew land on a planet filled with telekenetic humanoids who had been living their lives as if they were in ancient Greece. When they ask that Dr. McCoy stay on their planet just in case they ever need a doctor, disagreements follow and the people use their powers to humiliate Kirk and the others by making them do silly dances and the like. They even make Spock express emotion. But the news-worthy bit came when they forced Kirk and Uhura to kiss.

As far as what we already know from history, the story was Kirk/Uhura was what was written in the script but after concerns from NBC executives, they thought to change the kiss to Spock/Uhura but William Shatner insisted they keep with what was written. But in a recent interview, Nichelle Nichols gave some details that cast a slightly different shade on this story.

[She] told The Vancouver Sun she was rehearsing her lip-lock with Leonard Nimoy (a.k.a. the Vulcan, Mr. Spock) when William Shatner (a.k.a. interstellar stud, Captain Kirk) saw the smooch. “Bill Shatner saw what was going on and he said, ‘Woah, woah, woah. If anybody is gonna get to kiss Lieutenant Uhura it’s gonna be me.’ And he had the whole thing changed so the first interracial kiss was with Lieutenant Uhura and Captain Kirk.”

Nichols laughs almost constantly as she recalls her most memorable Star Trek moment. “Bill wanted to rehearse all the time. He said he wanted to get this right! I said to him, “It’s right, it’s right. I promise you, it’s right.” And the camera was shaking and the director was laughing his head off. We really had a good time.”

Brings a whole new meaning to “Dammit, Jim” doesn’t it?

It all worked out in the end I suppose. Uhura and Spock get to live out a real relationship rather than a forced kiss thanks to J.J. Abrams.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/uhura-spock-kirk-kiss/feed/43Need Something Heartwarming to Read? This Four-Year-Old Star Wars Fan And His (Imperial) Walker Might Do the Trick. - May The Force Be With Youhttp://www.themarysue.com/walker-at-at-star-wars/
http://www.themarysue.com/walker-at-at-star-wars/#commentsFri, 12 Apr 2013 20:15:47 +0000http://www.themarysue.com/?p=86083
The four-year-old son of mother/blogger/Star Wars fan Stephanie Kaloi is recovering from surgery to both his legs. He associates the walker he has to use with pain, explains Kaloi, because "while in the hospital [the doctors] asked him to stand and walk with it and it hurt (a lot) post-op."
So how can the walker be associated with something positive, instead? Easy. Kid's a Star Wars fan. Turn it into an AT-AT.]]>

The four-year-old son of mother/blogger/Star Wars fan Stephanie Kaloi is recovering from surgery to both his legs. He associates the walker he has to use with pain, explains Kaloi, because “while in the hospital [the doctors] asked him to stand and walk with it and it hurt (a lot) post-op.”

So how can the walker be associated with something positive, instead? Easy. Kid’s a Star Wars fan. Turn it into an AT-AT.

Kaloi got help to do just that from comic artist Ben Dewey and his wife Lindsey, friends of hers, who saw a picture she’d posted of the lackluster walker and, within a day, turned it into the AT-AT you see above.

loves being able to call Darth Vader (his favorite character) for instructions, and has mastered the sound of a laser being fired. More importantly, the goal was accomplished: our son happily walked all around our living room firing lasers at us for nearly an hour without once being scared that the walker would cause him pain. He’ll need the walker for another three weeks, and having him happy to use it is a huge leap forward for his recovery.

It’s absolutely magical, and yes: the Force is mighty strong with this one. And if you REALLY want to geek out, a friend of mine posted a photo on Reddit and WILLIAM SHATNER COMMENTED ON IT. Did your fandom heads just implode? ‘Cause mine just did.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/walker-at-at-star-wars/feed/3Shatner Battles the Gorn Again in New Star Trek Trailer [Video]http://www.themarysue.com/kirk-battles-gorn-again/
http://www.themarysue.com/kirk-battles-gorn-again/#commentsFri, 29 Mar 2013 21:00:20 +0000http://www.geekosystem.com/?p=144376
If you haven't seen much original Star Trek before, you're going to want to at least watch one brief, and very (in)famous, clip in a moment. A clever and hilarious new trailer for the upcoming Star Trek video game features William Shatner once again battling the Gorn in hand to hand combat.]]>

If you haven’t seen much original Star Trek before, you’re going to want to at least watch one brief, and very (in)famous, clip in a moment. A clever and hilarious new trailer for the upcoming Star Trek video game features William Shatner once again battling the Gorn in hand to hand combat.

The video game itself is debuting on April 23rd. It’s a third-person “bro-op” adventure game that lets you control young James T. Kirk and Spock during the time between the two latest movies — Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).

And the Gorn? The Gorn, who are featured in the game, and have cropped up in other Star Trek shows and books, are a bipedal reptilian race who sure do move a lot more swiftly in these later incarnations. Come to think of it, so does Kirk.

Before or after watching the trailer, check out the clip from the Star Trek espide “Arena,” because it ranks in my book as one of the most enjoyable pieces of cinema.

The new trailer:

The original battle between James T. Kirk and the Gorn:

Oh man, that’s good stuff. It’s almost — almost – as funny as the lion-fighting sequence from Monty Python’s “Scott of the Sahara” sketch.

]]>http://www.themarysue.com/kirk-battles-gorn-again/feed/1William Shatner Learns He Should Leave Gorn Battles To The Star Trek Video Game - Dammit Jim!http://www.themarysue.com/star-trek-game-shatner/
http://www.themarysue.com/star-trek-game-shatner/#commentsFri, 29 Mar 2013 17:15:56 +0000http://www.themarysue.com/?p=84312
Who else would the creators of Star Trek: The Video Game get for their spokesperson than William Shatner? Although the likenesses of Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are used in the game, we all know this pairing makes for comedy gold.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)
Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?]]>

Who else would the creators of Star Trek: The Video Game get for their spokesperson than William Shatner? Although the likenesses of Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are used in the game, we all know this pairing makes for comedy gold.